


Never A Perfect Moment

by GwenBrightly



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: (I don't know how to tag am I doing this right???), F/M, Hunted aftermath fic, Kai and Skylor need to get their act together, Skylor high off of pain meds, Skylor's employees are very wise (trust me), hospital stays and awkward confessions of love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2020-12-16 11:05:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21035225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GwenBrightly/pseuds/GwenBrightly
Summary: In the aftermath of Hunted, Skylor nearly dies from absorbing Garmadon's Oni powers, forcing both her and Kai to come to terms with their feelings for each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted from ffnet originially. This story takes place directly following Green Destiny and focuses on Skylor and Kai's relationship. The rest of the main cast, appears as well (along with a brief encounter with my ocs June and Chad, who are first introduced in some of my other fics). I hope you enjoy reading this! Comments are always more than welcome if you have feedback or suggestions : )

They had won. Yes, the journey home had been frustrating and time consuming, and Kai had wanted to throttle Jay for most of it (his extremely loose grip on sanity had been more than a little concerning). And yes, it had taken a long and strenuous battle that could easily have ended very differently. But it was best not to dwell on those things, he supposed. Years of similarly traumatizing events had taught him that. Good old Ninjago City was finally safe again… and it was wonderful to be home. Even if home was currently in ruins. The events of the past few weeks had left an obvious mark on the city. Rubble lined the streets. The remains of the colossus that had once ruled the city with its destructive fist could be seen not too far away as well. But... They were together again, and that was more than enough for him just now. Kai gave his adoptive family a relieved smile. 

“Just another day in Ninjago… I wonder what tomorrow will hold…” He declared, following the others off of the steps they had been standing on. Lloyd's... Father.... or at least, some incredibly twisted version of him, had been arrested, pushed into a police vehicle, shouting something unintelligible as he went. The rest of the SOG had also been rounded up; there was no more fighting to be had. Safety might be a relative term for now, but it appeared as though they'd achieved it in the end. Which was good, because none of them seemed to be in any condition to keep fighting. Noticing the bizarre angle at which his sister’s arm hung – something he should’ve caught sooner… he was her brother after all (oh, he felt guilty now for not paying better attention, no matter how tense things had been)- Kai added, 

“After we all make a run to the hospital. Or… what’s left of it anyway… Your arm looks pretty messed up, sis.” Nya sighed, wincing slightly. Her relief at having her family back had distracted her from the pain until now. If the swelling she could feel was anything to go off of, her shoulder had definitely been dislocated during her showdown with Ultra Violet earlier that day. She could barely move it at all. That… was going to be fun to fix. 

“You’re right… But I’m not the only one... Lloyd’s pretty banged up, and... Skylor wasn't looking too great either. You saw how all that dark energy was affecting her…” 

"Oh, gosh, Skylor… We left her all alone in that armored car of yours, which was completely epic, by the way… I hate to split up again so soon, but…” Kai began, worriedly. Nya shot him a knowing look. 

“Someone needs to check on her. Go on, grab her while we figure out transportation to the hospital. This arm is killing me.” 

“A-are you sure?” She lightly punched his shoulder with her good hand. 

“Course I am.” 

“Yeah. We’ll be fine here for a few minutes.” Cole assured him with a shooing gesture. Lloyd gave him a weak smile. Kai’s concern for the redhead won out; he wandered the short distance to where they’d parked the vehicle. Arriving just outside the door, he climbed inside. His blood ran cold at the sight that greeted him. Instead of having recovered now that Garmadon’s powers could no longer affect her, Skylor seemed worse off than before. Her skin had turned a dreadfully pale shade of greyish white. The master of amber’s eyes, which were normally so gorgeous and full of life, had turned dull and glassy. And the smell... She had clearly vomited at some point. Skylor groaned miserably as he approached her. How had things gone downhill so quickly? They never should have left her alone... He knelt next to her, careful to avoid the puddle of puke on the floor nearby. 

“Kai? Izzat you…?” 

“Yeah… you… This… You’re burning up…” Kai stated, feeling the unnatural waves of heat that were radiating off of off of her without even touching her skin. The master of amber didn't seem to hear him. Every breath she took came in short, shaky gasps. 

“M’not feeling…. Fink imma…” She slumped forward, slipping into unconsciousness. Kai rushed to catch her before her head could slam into the floor. 

“Oh nonono Sky...” Something was seriously wrong with her - She needed help, and soon. If he lost her.... No. If he started thinking like that, there was no way he'd be able to keep it together long enough to get her to the hospital... Taking a deep breath, he gently scooped her up, doing his best to ignore how limp she felt in his arms. She’d be fine if he could just get her some proper medical attention.... Right? The master of fire clambered out of the vehicle as quickly as he could, not wanting to waste any time. Getting back to the others seemed to take an eternity. Skylor’s dead weight grew increasingly unbearable the further he trudged. He could sense the steady rising of her fever as well. Not a good sign at all. It hadn’t felt so far before… why was this taking so long now? 

“Kai! What on earth?!” Lloyd exclaimed just as he felt as though his arms were about to give out on him. The master of fire came to a halt, panicking inwardly. 

“There’s something wrong with Skylor!” Zane observed, the first to rush over and offer his brother in arms assistance. 

“S-she passed out pretty much as soon as I got there… and her temp’s gotta be at least 105... I-I think Garmadon’s powers must have… poisoned her or something…” Kai gasped out, breathless. It didn’t take much for the others to see that he was right. Her appearance was dreadful. The way her head lulled to one side and beads of sweat trickled down her face, not to mention her pasty complexion, were all signs that she was suffering from something major. 

“That seems likely. We don’t have any idea how wielding Oni powers would affect an elemental master. Especially one with Skylor’s abilities.” The nindroid agreed with concern as he examined the redhead more closely. 

“Then we need to get her onto one of these dregons and head to the hospital asap.” Lloyd stated, taking the lead, for which Kai was grateful. The others immediately jumped into action, helping to hoist Skylor up onto the fire dragon that Kai had befriended. Although she could not actively help due to her injury, Nya yelled kind words of encouragement to them as they worked, striving to relieve the tension that was written all over Kai’s posture. It took no more than a few minutes to ensure that Skylor would not fall midflight. Then, Nya clambered onto Jay’s dragon, and Pixal onto Zane’s. The dragons took off gracefully, racing towards their destination at a speed that would have been impossible for a group of mere humans to accomplish. Under different circumstances, riding a dragon for the first time in years would have been exhilarating for Nya, but right now, all she could think about was the look on her brother’s face when he’d returned with Skylor’s limp form. She knew how much he cared for her, even if he’d never admitted it out loud. They’d gone through so much together and it pained her to see him so upset. This wasn’t fair; why couldn’t they just be happy and safe for once? Below, the city flew by, smoke rising from the rubble of what had once been buildings. 

“You okay back there?” The master of water heard her boyfriend call back to her, “The flight isn’t jostling your arm too much, is it?” 

“It’s not… too bad… I’ve been through worse, trust me. We’ve just had so much happen today, and… it’s a lot to take in...” Nya replied truthfully. She could handle the pain a bit longer; there was simply a lot on her mind. A park flew by - they were reaching the part of the city that had remained relatively untouched by Garmadon’s forces. That was a promising sign for the potential state of their destination. 

“I feel you there. But it feels awesome to be home again. I really missed you, you know?” 

“Mm… I missed you too, Jay. Especially when I thought you were dead, a-and I-” She began, voice thick with emotion, Jay stiffened. 

“You... You thought we were dead?!” He breathed. Though he didn’t turn around, she could hear the guilt in his voice. 

“Ye-s… It’s… There’s a lot to tell you after we’ve… made sure everyone’s okay… I…” 

“We have a lot to tell you, too.” Admitted the master of lightning. 

“Like how on earth you guys managed to keep Wu alive til adulthood?” Nya prompted curiously. He laughed softly. 

“Oh, sweetie, you should’ve seen his sassy kid self running around pretending to be Cole’s son…” 

“Wait-What?” She cried, attempting to make sense of this latest piece of information. 

“Tell you about it later, I promise. The hospital’s just up ahead, and you need treatment.” Jay reminded her as the dragon began to fly lower. 

“Mmm.... Wish I could just stay with you…” Nya mumbled tiredly, leaning against him. 

“I know… and as much as I’d love that, you’re clearly in pain, and Kai’s gonna need you to be doing okay. He’s pretty shaken up over both you and Skylor.” He told her. They were close to landing now. The hospital was less than a block away. 

“He really cares about her. Always has… I-I just hope…” 

“Hey, she’s a tough girl - just like you. I’m sure she’ll pull through. We gotta stay positive.” 

“Stay… Positive… Yeah, good plan… Ow… ” Nya hissed, grimacing slightly as she felt the jolt of the dragon they had been riding make contact with the ground. 

“Oh. Sorry!” Jay told her apologetically, “You want some help getting down?” She considered his offer for a moment before gratefully accepting. The master of water had missed his reassuring presence to an almost painful extent the past few weeks. 

“Please? That’d be great…” She said appreciatively, glancing over at Kai, who was already scrambling frantically from his perch. Lloyd and Cole quickly joined him, helping to lower the still unconscious Skylor to the ground. Using her good hand, Nya grabbed ahold of Jay and allowed him to guide her down off of the lightning dragon. Chaos exploded as Pixal and Zane pulled open the doors to the emergency room. The rest of the group burst inside, startling the patients and hospital employees milling about inside. Several nurses rushed forwards immediately to strap Skylor onto a mobile stretcher they happened to have on hand within seconds (clearly the hospital was making a point of being extra prepared as a result of the battle that had been ranging up until recently). Nya watched her brother begin to shake as they rolled her away. They hadn’t permitted him to follow. He pleaded with them fiercely, desperate to stay by her side, but it was no use. His presence wouldn’t do anything to help, ultimately, they said, leave it to the professionals. And since they weren’t legally obligated to allow him to be present during treatment, as neither he, nor the others, were technically related to her, there was little that could be done except waiting and hoping for the best. She watched as Lloyd gave him a fierce hug and guided him to the nearest couch, offering kind words of comfort, and speaking of how relieved he was to have his big brother back in one piece. Hearing yet another nurse gently ask her to follow her to another room for treatment, Nya glanced regretfully at the scene playing out before her. She didn’t want to leave Kai (or Jay, for that matter), but she had no choice. The pain in her arm was becoming unbearable and the water ninja knew the only way to remedy this was to allow herself to entrust her brother to the rest of their family and hope they’d be able to keep him from breaking until she could return. 

“I’ll be back soon.” She promised, doing her best to give him a reassuring look. It was less comforting than it should have been. 

_______________________________ 

One hour and a brand-new sling later, Nya found herself back in the waiting room. Before the doctor had released her, she’d chocked down several pills, which had helped reduce the pain she was in dramatically. Maybe now she’d be able to focus more on catching up with her family… and… Keeping Kai sane… 

“Hey guys. I’m back…” She said softly, seating herself next to her brother. His face was buried in his hands; he didn’t look up. 

“How’s your arm?” Lloyd asked. The doctors must have gotten to him as well. He was sporting several bandages that definitely hadn’t been there before. 

“Better than before. Doctor says I won’t be able to use it for a few weeks, but… could be worse.” She announced. The others exchanged looks. 

“That’s…” Started Cole. 

“That’s good… I mean… it’s not amazing, obviously, but. Still. Good.” Jay finished, rambling. 

“We could certainly use some positive news…” Agreed Zane somberly. Glancing from her unresponsive brother, to her boyfriend, to the rest of her family, the master of water faltered. 

“Something happened while they were fixing my arm… Didn’t it?” 

Kai spoke for the first time, lifting his face just enough that she could see how puffy and red his eyes were. 

“They had to put Skylor on oxygen…. She had a-a seizure a-and stopped breathing…. And t-hey…” He whispered, voice cracking. 

“Oh, Kai…” Nya murmured, throwing her arm around his shoulders. A wet sob escaped from the master of fire as he leaned into the hug. 

“Nya? W-what if she never wakes up? S-she could die…. I-I can’t… What I-if I never… get to… t-tell her that I-I…” 

“You love her?” She stated. He sobbed again, louder this time. 

“H-how-” 

“Because we know you, Kai.” Zane answered gently. 

“It’s so obvious to anyone who knows you how strongly you feel. She’s gotta know deep down.” Jay commented. 

“A-and FSM! I-I’m so sorry! Bec-cause you’re my sister, and… and I-I’ve barely said one word to you since I got b-back… And L-Loyd, too… I-I’m a horrible big brother for ignoring y-you…” Kai cried, shaking. Nya and Lloyd both shook their heads vehemently. 

“No, Kai. You’re not a horrible brother. You could never be horrible.” The blonde insisted immediately. 

“B-but I…” Kai trailed off miserably. 

“It’s okay, I promise. We understand. We do. But sitting here worrying isn’t gonna fix things... You know that... Now c’mon. Let’s go find some dinner. The food in the cafeteria is pretty decent. If I remember correctly from the last time we were stuck here, they even have a little fast food restaurant inside. You look like you haven’t eaten in days...” Offered Nya after a few minutes, giving him one of her signature looks. He needed a distraction. Desperately. 

“But-” He started to protest. 

“She’s right. You can’t sit around waiting for hours on end with nothing to do… you’ll drive yourself crazy.” Cole reminded him, pulling the master of fire to his feet. 

“Yeah, and then maybe after we eat, we can go look at those cool murals they have in the children's wing! You loved them last time we were here...” Jay agreed, trying to sound upbeat. Kai allowed them to drag him along back out the doors to the emergency room and into an elevator. He watched the glowing sign above the door signal the changes as they switched floors, wishing he were somewhere else entirely. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate his family’s efforts – he loved them dearly and they were only trying to help. He just... Dreaded what might happen the next time a doctor gave them an update. The group exited the elevator a few minutes later and headed down a maze of hallways before entering the surprisingly large and airy dining hall. The scent of sanitizer that had permeated the air and the blindingly white walls hadn’t done much for his appetite. He should have just stayed behind while the others got something to eat... There was little chance that food would improve his current outlook. Nevertheless, his sister shoved him towards the large menu sign of the rather generic restaurant and instructed him to pick something. Kai stared blankly at it, nothing sounding the least bit palatable. When he didn’t say anything after a few minutes, Nya sighed softly and gave his hand a squeeze. 

“You know what? I’ll take care of this. Think you can handle finding us a place to sit?” He nodded numbly and trudged towards the assorted tables and booths that covered the other side of the room. The master of fire was unfortunately familiar with the layout, thanks to several previous visits. Though, he couldn’t remember ever feeling quite this drained or on edge.. The events of the past few days weighed heavily on him, and he was having trouble processing it all. Lloyd’s leg had been an easy fix after the first battle with his father. Even the intense case of appendicitis that Nya had been subjected to a few years back had been reasonably straightforward. This? This was far less predictable. There was no way of knowing how things would work out in the end. And that thought scared him. Selecting an isolated booth towards the back of the room, Kai sat in silence, waiting for the others to join him. It was the first moment he’d had alone in a long time. He wasn’t sure that was a good thing. Part of him wished he’d thought to have Jay charge his phone earlier (it had remained in his pocket, slightly battered, but still functional, since they’d first ended up in the First Ream – cell service was completely non-existent there), since having that luxury would serve as a distraction from his growing concern for Skylor. Alas, he had not. And if he really thought about it, he dreaded having to weed through the countless social media notifications he undoubtedly had (being so well known definitely had its downsides) anyway. That was going to be a serious chore. One he wasn’t sure he was mentally prepared for. And then… His parents…. Kai really should call them. They’d worked so hard to make up for their absence in the past year (though it felt like a lifetime ago, honestly). And he was eternally grateful that they had had the chance to reconnect after so long. Not everyone was blessed with an opportunity like that, and Kai hated that Lloyd had lost another family member just as he and his sister finally found theirs. It wasn’t fair. But then again, what did any of them know about fairness? Half the time, life seemed to be a cruel trick of fate. Like… Having his baby brother’s father resurrected in an almost demonic form. He… really needed to check up on the kid. Skylor wasn’t the only one who had been damaged, here, and it was his responsibility as the big brother in this family to make sure Lloyd was on the road to emotional recovery. Even if both he and Nya had assured him that they understood if he was a bit distracted by the master of amber’s hospitalization. 

“Kai?” Someone called, snapping him from his reverie. Nya scooted across the booth’s cushioned bench, coming to a stop next to him. 

“Kai – you wanna burger?” Jay and Cole set down several trays stacked high with food. Clearly no one had been able to resist the call of cheap fast food. 

“We got curly fries, too!” The master of lightning supplied enthusiastically as the rest of group piled haphazardly into the booth. Kai took a deep breath. The smell made his stomach growl, reminding the him just how long it had been since he’d eaten something other than the weird plants that grew in the First Realm. 

“Yeah? That sounds… I...I’m. Starving... Thanks.” He relaxed slightly as food was distributed among them (with Cole threatening to dump ketchup in Jay’s hair for hogging the fries), the mood significantly lighter than it had been in the waiting room. If he tried hard enough, he could almost forget why they were there. But the sling Nya wore was enough of a reminder that this ultimately proved to be unsuccessful. 

“Is now a good time to swap stories? Cause I have questions.” Lloyd stated tentatively, after taking a few bites of his burger, staring at Kai as if to make sure he wasn’t going to go catatonic on them. 

“Yes. We do have an awful lot to tell you, and I’m sure you’ve got plenty to share as well.” Zane agreed. 

“Oh, do we!” The master of water exclaimed, slamming down her cup of root beer. Pixal smiled ruefully from across the table. 

“That’s… Not an understatement.” 

“A-nd I was thinking. Maybe after that, we could call our parents?” Kai suggested, before chaos could break out. His sister leaned against him contentedly. 

“That sounds like an excellent idea, Kai.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features a moment between the Smith siblings, Skylor being high off of pain meds, and my two ocs, Chad and June, who are first introduced in Maybe and Operation Christmas Lloyd (which can be found on ffnet and will hopefully be posted soon).

Kai blearily peeked out of his hammock, still fully ensconced in the fluffy blankets Lloyd was so taken with. He could just barely make out the sleeping forms of his family on the several hideaway beds, additional hammock, and one air mattress that had been hastily inflated a few nights back when they first arrived at the apartment that Lloyd had taken up residence in while the rest of them were off on their individual missions. None of the others were up yet. Why was he even awake? So early…. Misako and Wu were probably still fast asleep in the loft he was currently dangling from. He snuggled back down, hoping that maybe he’d fall back asleep. He’d take every bit of rest he could get at this point. Everything that had transpired recently was definitely starting to catch up with him. It was hard to believe that several days had already passed since they had all been reunited. Life had been a whirlwind of phone calls, hospital visits, takeout meals, and restoration efforts. So much clean up and repair work… that alone took up countless hours. The busyness was good, he supposed. Kai had less time to worry about Skylor’s fragile health when he was distracted by the hundreds of tasks that needed doing in order to return the city to its former glory. Somewhere in all the chaos, however, a small glimmer of light had appeared. Late into the previous evening, they had received word that the master of amber’s condition had been updated to stable. Even if she wasn’t conscious yet, it was a vast improvement over the puking, seizures and assisted breathing that had initially plagued her. And this fact was enough to give Kai all the hope he needed. The master of fire planned to be present whenever her body decided that it was time to wake up. Part of him wanted to kiss her senseless when it finally happened. But given the… undefined nature of their relationship, he wasn’t sure she’d appreciate the gesture. He didn’t want to hurt her… And he wasn’t quite sure how to go about bringing it up without making the entire situation even more complicated than it already was. The master of fire buried his face beneath a pillow, trying once more to lull himself back to sleep. When it didn’t work, he gave a muffled groan. He was going to need a nap later at this rate. Giving up on the idea of sleeping more, Kai quietly slipped from his hammock, navigating his way towards the quaint little kitchen. If he were going to be awake, he might as well do something productive and fix a nice breakfast for them to enjoy before another hectic day began (even if his cooking was nowhere near Zane’s level). The master of fire tiptoed past a snoring Cole, then edged around the hideaway that currently housed both Jay and Nya, who were currently cuddling more excessively than he would’ve preferred. It looked like Jay had graduated from hugging pillows to subconsciously clinging to his girlfriend. But, they had been through an awful lot lately. And he was fairly certain that he’d heard the master of lightning mention something about yin and yang symbols at least once while they’d been in the First Realm. So. He should probably leave them be. In the quiet gloom, master of fire nearly tripped over a sweatshirt that someone (Cole) had left on the floor. He stumbled into the kitchen, catching himself on the island. Kai froze for a moment, concerned that the small thudding noise he’d made would wake someone. When nothing happened, he kept going. His phone was right where he’d left it the night before, plugged in on the counter. The master of fire powered it on and started searching for pancake recipes. He was 100% confident that Lloyd would never have stocked the cupboards with mix under any circumstances. Foods like this simply weren’t anywhere near as good when they came from a box, and the blonde knew it. They’d lived off of off brand cereal and cheap multi-purpose mix enough times to recognize the difference. The ingredients weren’t hard to find. The milk was perhaps a few days past its best by date, and the flour was a bit clumpy, but he could make do. At least he, unlike some people, had never given anyone food poisoning. Which put the odds in his favor (in his opinion). Kai pulled a griddle off a shelf and began measuring things into various cups and pitchers he’d located while waiting for it to heat to an appropriate temperature. As he poured flour into a cup, he failed to hear the stealthy family member sneak up behind him. Which was surprising, considering everything life had thrown at him lately. 

“G’morning, Kai!” Nya whispered drowsily. He dropped a measuring instrument, sending up a cloud of flour. 

“Nya, you know you can’t do stuff like that. You gave me a heart attack…” He complained, blinking the white powder from his eyes. 

“Sorry…” She hissed. 

“What’re you even doing up?” Kai asked, still in shock. Nya was usually the opposite of a morning person. She shrugged as best she could, careful not to jostle her bad shoulder. 

“I… nightmare, I guess?” She informed him with a slight frown. It wasn’t like this was anything new. Glancing at the glowing numbers on the microwave, she added 

“But it is almost 8:30 in the morning…” 

“Already?” He rubbed at his face, trying to remove the rest of the substance that currently coated it. She’d tell him about her nightmare if she needed to. 

“Here, you look ridiculous! Please let me help you before you manage to get it everywhere…” Nya requested, reaching for a towel that hung near the sink. She tossed it to him with a practiced air of ease. 

“Thanks.” 

“So. Makin’ pancakes?” 

“Yep. Wanna help?” 

“Sure. It’s better than watching Jay snuggle with my pillow…” They glanced over to the boy’s prone form. Sure enough, in the absence of the master of water, he’d managed to maneuver her pillow into his arms. 

“I bet you wish you knew what he’s thinking right now, huh?” Kai said with a smirk. His sister raised an eyebrow. 

“What could you possibly know about Jay’s innermost thoughts?” 

“Psh… don’t doubt my abilities. Clearly he’s thinking ‘Oh Nya, I could hold you in my arms forever and ever. I think of you every second of every day… No! Every millisecond! You’re so beautiful and awesome and your hair smells like wild cherries on a Sunday afternoon.’” Nya’s cheeks turned bright red. 

“He does not sound like that!” She protested, biting back a laugh. 

“Oh, really?” 

“Really. His lips move about a million times faster than that. Now cut it out before you wake the others. Chocolate chips or no?” The girl busied herself, rummaging through a cupboard Kai had somehow missed. 

“Do you even have to ask?” He replied. 

“Chocolate chip pancakes it is, then.” 

“You two really went all put with this place, you know?” The master of fire stated after a few minutes of joint mixing and measuring (during which time several handfuls of chips mysteriously disappeared). Nya sobered. 

“Y-yeah… we… we wanted it to feel like home. So.” 

“I get it. It was hard on both you and Lloyd to be left here while the rest of us were gone.” He assured her. The batter was almost ready now. 

“Even with all the video calls and stuff. It just… wasn’t the same. And then I had to leave too, and then… just when we were all together again…” Nya commented absently, playing with a few pieces of chocolate. 

“Hey, let’s not go there right now… Things were bad, yeah. But they’re getting better. We just gotta keep moving forward.” 

“You’ve been spending too much time with Jay lately, haven’t you?” She accused in a slightly lighter tone. 

“You try being stuck with him after he’s suffered a mental breakdown and see if you like it.” Asserted Kai. 

“No thanks.” His sister retorted, a weak smile playing on her lips, “You know what these pancakes need to go with them?” 

“Bacon?” 

“Bacon.” Nya decided, wandering over to the refrigerator. By some stroke of luck, there was a slab that hadn’t yet expired. 

“Perfect. And we’ve got whipped cream, too. This is gonna make Lloyd’s day.” 

“Yeah! No one will be able to resist the Smith siblings’ world famous pancakes.” Kai stated lightly, holding out his hand for a fist bump. The raven-haired girl obliged with an eye roll, but wasn’t willing to let Kai off the hook. 

“You mean Betty Crocker’s world famous pancakes.” 

“Yeah, sure, that.” He agreed dismissively, making an (admittedly weak) attempt to bash her over the head with a spatula. Predictably, she dodged. 

“Missed me, dork.” 

“Only cause you won’t hold still, shortie…” The master of fire swiped again. This time Nya grabbed her own weapon. 

“I’m taller than you.” She reminded, blocking his attempt and returning it with her own. 

“Yeah, barely!” The two spatulas met with a soft clang, but the siblings no longer cared whether or not they woke the others (the food was almost done, anyway). 

“Porcupine breath!” 

“Mistletoe addict!” 

“Oh my gosh Kai! That was one year.” 

“You say that like there’s no way it’ll happen again this Christmas...” Kai paused to flip the latest batch of pancakes. Nya gave a long-suffering sigh. 

“How do you know you won’t be the one using it as an excuse to kiss Skylor?” 

“I… I haven’t even talked to her about things yet. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here... I don’t even know if…” He replied in a more serious tone. Her face fell slightly. 

“That’s.... Okay, I understand...” 

“Sorry… it’s just… you and Jay make all of this look so easy, and…” Kai started. Nya snorted, shaking her head in wonder. 

“Easy?! Kai. You know as well as anyone that we’ve had our fair share of rough patches. Super rough ones. There were days I thought we’d never make it to this point. And sometimes? I’m still scared I’m gonna mess up really bad and hurt him again…” She admitted softly. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He’d missed these heart to hearts with his sister. It felt good to be able to be so open with each other again. Even if there were still a few things he was keeping from her – Jay owed him big time. 

“You’ve both come such a long way. I’m so proud of you, sis. And somehow, I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Something tells me you guys are gonna be just fine.” 

“Thanks… I think I needed to hear that…” She replied, leaning against him, “You’re heading to the hospital as soon as breakfast’s over.” It wasn’t a question. 

“Yeah. If… if she wakes up today, I wanna be there for her. Not sure how she’ll take the whole coma and being put on oxygen thing.” The ninja of fire admitted. She nodded and snuggled against him, enjoying the quiet. 

“I smell food,” Came Cole’s voice from the air mattress he was currently located on, “How soon’re we gonna eat?” 

“It’ll be sooner if you come set the table like the gentleman that you are.” Nya called back. 

“Hear that, buddy? It’s time to get up and make ourselves useful.” The master of earth told Lloyd, throwing a perfectly aimed pillow at him. He sat up with a yawn. 

“Gah! Fine. I’m up.” The blonde stated with a groan, climbing out of his hammock. 

“Want me to set out the juice?” Jay offered, also awake now and full of energy. 

“Sure.” 

“And while we do that, can you guys fold up the hideaways? There’s no point in having them take up all this extra space.” The Green Ninja asked Zane and Pixal. 

“Of course.” The samurai replied. 

“It shouldn’t take us very long.” Added the master of ice brightly. Like a well-oiled machine, the group set about accomplishing their responsibilities. Within minutes, several people were already in line to start filling their plates. 

“So, obviously Kai will be heading to the hospital first, but then what?” Lloyd asked, spraying nearly an entire can of whipped cream on his food. Was he really that predictable? Kai briefly wondered in between attempts to confiscate the delicious topping before Lloyd could make himself sick. 

“You gonna join us at the old monastery? Uncle Wu mentioned wanting to look into rebuilding it.” 

“Uh. Maybe. I was thinking of dropping by Master Chen’s and seeing if June needs any help first, though, if that’s okay with you guys?” He answered, piling some bacon onto his plate. Nya nodded. 

“That poor girl probably does need some support. I can’t imagine how chaotic things at the restaurant are right now. Maybe we should meet you there and all head to the monastery together?” She suggested. 

“Yeah. That’s a good plan. We’ll work on helping with rebuilding efforts somewhere nearby and catch you on our way over.” Lloyd decided. Kai gave his family a smile. 

“Fine by me. I’ll text you when I’m done at the hospital.” 

//////////////////\///////////////////\/////////////// 

Kai was already far too familiar with the route that would take him to Skylor’s room. He hurriedly scribbled his name on the check in sheet and turned leave, but was interrupted by Jen, the nurse who happened to be running the visitor’s desk. 

“I should probably warn you. Miss Chen is finally awake, but she was causing quite the commotion earlier...” She told him. He stared at her, confused. Oh. Now he wished that he’d arrived a bit earlier. Not that he’d pass up a nice breakfast with his family. He knew how much it meant to Lloyd and Nya. 

“What do you mean commotion…?” 

“Um… We had to give her a bunch of narcotics because her body is still recovering from being so sick, and she was in a lot of pain, and… Well… maybe it’s better if you see for yourself…” 

“That’s… comforting…” Kai said with only a hint of sarcasm. 

“I know... I promise it’s not as bad as it sounds.” She smiled apologetically. 

“And I’m sorry for making you more worried. Maybe things have calmed down by now. Have a nice visit!” The nurse waved, watching him head down the hallway. 

“Thanks. I-I will.” He called back over his shoulder. Wondering what Jen could possibly have meant, he hurried along. He couldn’t help but reflect back on all the memories they shared. All the times he’d come to her, looking for advice, or the days they’d both been desperate for an escape and spent hours hiding from their responsibilities… Over the years, they had spent so much time together… Hopefully it wasn’t too late for them to build something more… 

As he grew closer to the room he knew was hers, he could hear voices carrying on a rather loud conversation. 

“Miss Chen, please stop playing with the iv drip. It’ll only work if it stays in your arm!” Someone, another nurse, probably, insisted urgently. 

“But I can’t bend my arm with it in… see?” An additional voice complained in a tone that was just barely audible. A machine beeped loudly. The owner of the first voice sighed heavily. 

“Then don’t bend your arm so much… keep it like this, okay?” The beeping stopped. 

“Okay, okay. But… ammi gonna have any visitors today? This… this is boring. Like. Why izznt Kai here? He’s so great. Betcha he’d make everything just… fade away…” 

“I aware of that. You’ve told me already. Five different times, in fact.” Hearing himself being discussed, the master of fire knocked softly on the door. There was the sound of footsteps on the other side, then it opened. A haggard looking nurse ushered him inside. 

“Heeey, hot stuff!” Skylor called unsteadily. With a bit of color back in her skin and a noticeably less terrifying body temperature, she looked somewhat better than the last time Kai had seen her. But it was obvious that she had yet to fully recover from her ordeal. He wasn’t completely sure she was even focusing on him and not some imaginary version of himself. 

“I was juussst. Telling my good man Friday, here, all about you!” The nurse shook his head in exasperation. 

“That’s…. Not my name, but okay. I’m just gonna step out into the hall and let you two talk this out…Let me know if you need anything.” The redhead giggled as Kai took a seat in the empty chair next to her bed. 

“Oh Kai! I’ve missed you sooo much…. I’m really glad you’re not dead, y’know? That would’ve been so sucky…” 

“Uh... Yeah? I missed you too...” Was the only thing he could think of to say. She stared at him wide eyed, as if this were some mind-blowing piece of information that had rocked her entire world. 

“Kai?” Skylor whispered, her perception of the room spinning slightly. 

“Y-es?” 

“Hazanyone ever tooold you how beautiful your eyelashes are?” She asked. Well, whatever he’d been expecting her to say, it hadn’t been that. 

“What?” 

“They’re so…. Long…a-and full… and. And every time I look at them I just! I wannem. Cause they’re so lucious and pretty, and it’s not fair!” The redhead cried loudly, “S’not fair…. Why’do you getta be the one with the such fabulous eyelashes when I’m stuck with…. These…?” She gestured weakly at her face (her eyelashes weren’t unattractive in the slightest, he noted). He struggled to keep a straight face. 

“I dunno Sky, I really don’t.” 

“An’ don’t even get me started on the hair…. It’s sooo…. Spiky. Like a porcupine… except cuddlier... I just wanna touchit….” Sniffling slightly, she continued, “But I won’t. Cause I know you probably wudd’n wan’ me to. So I won’t. But I wanna.” 

“You’re allowed to touch my hair if it really means that much to you. You just gotta ask.” He told her patiently. Skylor perked up immediately. 

“Woah… really?” 

“Sure,” Leaning forward, he shrugged. She reached out a trembling hand and gently petted his head. 

“Oooh…. S’much softer thanni thought it’d be…” The master of amber mused, before growing serious again. 

“Why’re you always soo nice to me? Like even back when I was… eeeven back on the island. You were so kind…. And I was a big ol liar… M’sorry bout that… You’re too pure for me to pull crap like that on you…. I shouldn’t’ve… Oh! An, then, there was that time you asked me to the zoo? An I totally thought you were gonna backout, but ya did’n. I was so happy! Only, it made me fall more in love with you…. Onn’a these days I gotta get you to ask me out for realsies….” A dreamy look crossed her face as she stared into his eyes for a moment, “That’d be amazing… like maybe even the best thing ever… And you know what? I’ve been doing some thinking, and you know whattineed? A pet peacock!” Had Kai heard her right? Sure they’d gone out together a couple of times (but was it as friends?), and yes, he’d always hoped she was at least interested, but this was different. If Skylor really was in love with him, then… 

“Wait. Say that again... Please?” He begged. 

“Uh... I wanna peacock?” She replied confusedly. 

“No, before that…” But it was already too late; the moment was gone. She scrunched her eyebrows in concentration, then frowned. 

“Hm… I-I.… got nothing… Sorry...” 

“It’s... It’s fine.” Kai assured her once it had become clear that nothing was going to jog her memory. Skylor yawned, looking deflated. The energy she’d seemed to have when he first arrived was vanishing rapidly. 

“These meds.... have really got me all messed up, huh?” The master of amber noted sleepily, in a moment of surprising lucidity, sinking back onto her pillows. She didn’t even know the half of it… 

“I understand… Why don’t you try to get some rest now, okay?” He suggested. 

“Mmm… fink I will…” She agreed as she snuggled into the thin white sheets, “G’night Kai...” 

“Sweet dreams, Sky.” As she shut her eyes with a contented smile, the master of fires heart twisted. There was so much he wanted, no needed, to say to her… but he couldn’t, not now, and he wondered if there ever would be a perfect moment. Sighing softly, Kai smoothed the sleeping young lady’s hair out of her face. 

“Goodbye,” He whispered, knowing full well that she couldn’t hear him. 

/////\////// 

“If I ever have to clean out another industrial sized refrigerator full of rotten food, it’ll be too soon…” Chad stated dramatically, collapsing into the nearest chair as he exited Master Chen’s storeroom. The table in front of him, which happened to be in restaurant’s main office, was covered with cleaning supplies, paperwork, and half empty coffee mugs. 

“It could’ve been much worse, and you know it, Mr. I’ve held literally every job possible at the Ninjago City Mall.” June replied, powering on her tablet. She pulled up the checklist they had been valiantly attempting to complete for most of the morning (there was only so much that could be accomplished at once when working with someone possessing Chad’s attention span) and made a note next to ‘Clean and inventory all supplies currently in storage; remove rotted foodstuffs’. They still had a lot to do if they wanted to have things up and running again before Skylor was released from the hospital. The bespectacled young lady was holding out hope that this would happen sooner, rather than later. She’d nearly flung her phone across the room in panic a few days ago when Kai had texted her to inform her that her friend (and boss) had been rushed to the ER in the aftermath of the battle. Skylor definitely didn’t deserve everything the world had thrown at her, especially not being so ill. And she’d do anything she could to lessen the burdens she knew she carried in the meantime. 

“Okay, yes. Anything’s better than toilet duty…” He allowed, peering over June’s shoulder to get a better look at what she was doing. The level of organization on the screen would never cease to impress him. He could barely keep track of his car keys, let alone make sense of the notes he wrote himself during his journalism courses (which had been paused due to an evil warlord taking over the city). How on earth did she manage it all so effortlessly? But that was just the way June was. For as long as Chad could remember, she had always been good at this sort of thing. Being the one to make sure things would turn out okay, no matter what. The quiet, but comforting force, always there to cheer him on. She hadn’t always seen her own strength to begin with, but once she’d found her voice, she’d become unstoppable. And he loved her for it. 

“You know, the bathrooms are still on the list if you’d like to revisit your glory days…” The manager of Master Chen’s Noodle House informed him with an innocent smile. Chad shook his head vigorously. 

“I’m good, thanks. My internship at Ninjago Times is definitely a step up from that.” 

“I know it is.” June sighed, slumping in her seat as she ran some calculations in her head, “I just wish we could make it a bit longer without the city being in danger... We’ve had giant snakes, evil robots, a cult… when will it all stop?” 

“It would be nice to graduate on time… but I’m really just glad we’re both alive at this point…” The young man told her, planting a kiss on her cheek. 

“And besides, think about how different our lives would be without some of the things that have happened over the years. You might not have ended up applying for your assistant manager position, and I know how much you love working here! And I know Skylor’s super glad she has you for a friend…” 

“That’s very true,” She agreed, “And you can’t deny that those awkward run ins with the ninja contributed to your decision to go into journalism.” Chad stood, flashing her a grin. 

“Yep, and I couldn’t be happier. Life’s good; I’ve got a career I’m passionate about, a wonderful fiancée who puts up with my crazy ideas… Well, most of the time at least!” He pulled her to her feet, 

“And… a restaurant in desperate need of some tlc… we should probably get back to work, huh?” 

“Yeah, probably. C’mon, let’s go see what the others are up to. I’m sure they are wondering why we’re not finished with the inventory yet.” Decided June. Still holding hands, they wandered back into the main part of the building. The employees that had so graciously volunteered to come in on their spare time and help revitalize the restaurant were hard at work. Several people were scrubbing the conveyer that usually displayed a variety of dishes. Still more wiped furiously to remove smudges from the windows. A pile of broken chairs and a table that was inexplicably missing a leg sat in one corner – a staunch reminder of lawlessness the SOG had lived by during Garmadon’s reign of terror. It was a good thing no one had been present when the restaurant had been torn apart in the search for the green ninja and his friends. That wouldn’t have ended well, she was certain. The sight had been devastating when they’d first arrived earlier that morning. But things were starting to look up, now. Even if there was definitely going to be some lingering trauma for some of them. 

“It’s looking better already. We’ll have this place up and running again in no time!” Chad cheerfully declared, knowing just how worried June had been. 

“Hey you guys. We were starting to worry that you’d gotten eaten by some sort of mutated refrigerator monster or something.” Greeted one of the waitresses as she glanced over at the couple. 

“We… got a bit sidetracked…” June explained. 

“That’s okay – as long as you weren’t sucking each other’s faces off in there.” A busboy replied. 

“… Did you really just say that, Kyle?” Someone else deadpanned. 

“Yeah, have some respect. June’s our boss. You oughta know better than that!” 

“Okay,” June called, stepping in before the discussion could turn into an argument (a relatively common occurrence with this particular set of individuals), “Hey, you know what? Everyone take a break. You’ve all been working so hard. Go get some food. And water – hydration’s very important. I don’t want to see any of you back here working for at least half an hour. But seriously, thank you so much for coming today. I know Skylor would really appreciate your dedication if she were here.” This seemed to relieve the sense of tension that had been beginning to grow amongst the employees. They scattered in groups and pairs, grateful to be free of productivity for the time being. 

“So… what are we gonna do with all this damaged furniture?” Asked one waitress, who happened to be lingering a bit longer than the others. June and Chad walked over to inspect it more closely. 

“Hm… Most of it looks salvageable.” The young man mused. She nodded thoughtfully. 

“Yeah… I don’t suppose you know of any good furniture repair businesses, Daisy?” 

“Not off the top of my head, but I can ask around, if you want?” Replied the frizzy haired young lady. 

“That would be a huge help.” June commented, looking relieved. 

“Sure thing, boss.” Daisy said with a cheerful nod before heading off in search of lunch. The pair looked at each other, smiling tiredly, already missing the chaotic atmosphere and sense of comradery the others had provided. 

“Which non bathroom related task shall we tackle next?” Questioned Chad, nudging his fiancée, eager to begin another project. A few more minutes of hard work wouldn’t harm anything. They could always retrieve their sandwiches from the refrigerator later. 

“Hm... We could-” The sound of the bell above the front door ringing prevented June from answering him. 

“I’m sorry, but Master Chen’s Noodle House is not open for business at the moment. I’m afraid you’ll have to come back later if you want any noodles.” She stated absently, a bit surprised that someone would attempt to eat there at a time like this. 

“I’m not here for the food. Didn’t you get my text?” 

“Wait – Kai?” The young woman spun to face their visitor. 

“Hey June, Chad.” The master of fire greeted sheepishly. 

“Oh my gosh. I’ve had my phone on silent all morning… I must have missed it. I’m so sorry!” June apologized, frantically rushing over to him. 

“Eh, it’s fine. It uh, looks like you’ve had your hands full here…” Kai commented, glancing about curiously. He had to admit that he hadn’t anticipated seeing the restaurant in quite this bad of shape. 

“Yeah. You should’ve seen the place when we got here. Total disaster!” Chad informed Kai, nodding vehemently. 

“What.. What exactly happened, here? Was it the SOG?” He asked, eyes drawn to the broken furniture. 

“Uhuh... We weren’t here when they arrived... The... Incident with the colossus was broadcast on the news and Skylor sent us all home as soon as she saw it. She was so shaken – didn’t want any of us to get hurt due to her relationship with you guys. And of course, she was being her usual caring self and prioritizing everyone else’s wellbeing over her own, but it was so difficult to stand by and not be able to offer her any comfort. I’ve never seen her so upset before...” June frowned, “But anyway, we watched the security footage when we got here, and it was.... pretty terrifying... They tore the place apart looking for any sign of the resistance. One of them even suggested burning the place down when they didn’t find anything...” She explained. Seeing the all of this play out had obviously been anything but pleasant. 

“Oh.” Kai said, the realization of how much the disappearance of him and his friends had impacted Ninjago suddenly striking him much harder than it had before. He’d known it’d been tough on Nya and Lloyd, but it was clear that Skylor and her employees were just as affected. He should’ve checked in on them sooner... 

“Yeah, but we’ll get through it. I mean, the worst of it is over now that we have all of you back and Garmadon behind bars. You should see how hard everyone’s been working. I know we all adore Skylor, because she’s an amazing person, but it’s so encouraging to see all of them come together to help her like this.” June told him, smiling optimistically. 

“She is amazing.” The master of fire agreed softly, thinking back to his earlier conversation with her. 

“Have you been able to visit her?” She inquired. 

“I... Yes, every day... And just before I came here, actually.” Kai informed her. 

“H-how is she?” Came the anxious, but hopeful response. He paused for a moment, not quite sure how to describe her current state. 

“She’s… Well… She was awake for a little while this morning, so that’s a good sign…” 

“But?” June finished for him, somehow picking up on his uncertainty. 

“Skylor and pain meds are an… interesting combination. She was really out of it and said some stuff that was definitely… unexpected… but do I blame her? No… I mean… She didn’t know…” Rambled the master of fire awkwardly. June nodded sagely. 

“She told you she was in love with you.” 

“Uh…? Yeah, she did, and it caught me totally off guard and I’m not sure if- Oh… Why am I even telling you this?” He muttered, massaging his temples. 

“Kai, can I ask you something?” She asked, motioning for him to follow her. 

“Yeah, sure, I guess?” Kai joined her at one of the booths that was still intact. Chad slipped into the booth as well, obviously curious about whatever it was that June was about to ask. 

“When you and Skylor so clearly have feelings for each other, why are you still awkwardly dancing around each other instead of asking her out? I figured you would’ve started dating a long time ago…” 

“I…” He sighed, an unreadable expression crossing his face, “It’s complicated...” 

“Welcome to Ninjago, Kai. In case you somehow missed it, everything here is complicated.” Chad observed, looking at the master of fire like he was a world-class idiot. His fiancée elbowed him gently. 

“Everyone has a few hiccups in their lives, sure… but you shouldn’t let that prevent you from being with the person you love.” June stated wisely. 

“It just never felt like the right time, you know?” He told them, not meeting their eyes, “We always had so much on our plates… from the moment she got here, Skylor had to deal with everything that came with suddenly having an entire culinary empire thrust on her and I didn’t feel like I could add more to her plate by asking for a relationship… and then Morro happened, and everything else, and I didn’t want to hurt her if something happened and my duties interfered with things so I…” June and Chad glanced at each other, then at Kai. The bespectacled young lady chose her words carefully, knowing that someone needed to give him some perspective on this situation. 

“Look. As your friend, I’m going to be honest with you, here. I know right now it feels like life will never calm down, like it’s just one crazy thing after another, especially for someone like you who has to carry far more responsibility than is really fair… but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past couple of years, it’s that there’s no such thing as a perfect moment, and that if you keep on waiting for one,” She eyed him meaningfully as she continued, “You’ll come to regret it one day because you’ll have missed out on a lot of incredible things.” 

“I…” The master of fire bit his lip, realization hitting him hard. June was right, and deep down, he had already known that. What had he been thinking? 

“Just… talk to her... Skylor loves you, Kai. She has for a long time. She’ll understand.” She advised encouragingly. 

“You’re right... I’ve put this off for long enough. The next time I visit the hospital, I’ll tell her everything.” Kai determined, doing his best to look confident. It was time for him to do what he should’ve done a long time ago. Suddenly a future with the girl of his dreams didn’t seem like such an unrealistic possibility.


	3. Chapter 3

“You’re sure the flowers aren’t too much?” Kai questioned, fiddling with his hair (for what must have been the hundredth time in the past five minutes). He stared at his reflection as though it could provide the answers he sought. His visit to the hospital had to be perfect. If he messed this up... he’d never forgive himself. From the doorway, Nya shot him a bemused look. How he could be so confident sometimes, yet act like a total wreck now, would always be a mystery to her. She gave her answer, slipping into the cramped bathroom to stand next to him, 

“She’ll love them.” 

“What about my hair? Does it look okay?” he reached for the hair gel, but his sister rolled her eyes and used her good hand to swat him away from it. 

“You look fine. Leave it alone before you end up looking like some sort of rabid porcupine.” Ugh. What was it with people comparing his hair to animals? 

“You could always be like Jay and just… not bother to style it at all…” Lloyd’s suggestion floated in from nearby. 

“Hey!” the master of lightning cried indignantly, “I’ve been home less than a week and this is how I’m treated?! That was a low blow, greenie…” 

“I missed you, I promise. But seriously, you need a haircut or something.” Lloyd told him, earning a glare. They probably all needed one, if they were being totally honest. 

“Somehow, I doubt your commentary is helping Kai.” Zane observed. 

“Probably not… Honestly, Kai, you gotta stop psyching yourself out over this.” Cole added, joining the conversation. Over the past few days, Kai had questioned the wisdom of being so open about his feelings for Skylor several times (even if it had really been mostly due to his panic over nearly losing her). The others had become surprisingly invested in it, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Giving up on retrieving the hair gel from Nya, he joined the others in the living room. 

“Says the guy who’s more interested in food than girls.” he mumbled, seating himself on the couch. 

“Pft… I just haven’t found someone who appreciates cake as much as I do.” the master of earth insisted. The others shared a look. 

“Either way, Cole does have a point. You and Skylor have been through a lot together. Surely this can’t be any worse?” Zane offered, giving Kai a comforting pat. 

“Indeed. It’s obvious you two are meant for each other!” agreed Pixal. He calmed at this, knowing she didn’t say such things lightly. Not since she had come to realize the full effects of the perfect match incident. The nindroid had felt terrible about the heartache caused by her actions, often keeping her observations about her family’s love lives to herself. 

“Thanks, you guys. I dunno why I’m so stressed out over this.” Admitted Kai with a sigh. 

“Everyone feels a little nervous when they tell the person they love about their feelings for them,” Nya told him, “it’s a big step.” 

“Just be yourself, and be honest, and everything will work out just fine... I learned that the hard way.” Jay piped up. Having experienced his fair share of hiccups when it came to his romance with Nya, he knew that the master of fire needed to hear this advice. His girlfriend nodded in agreement. 

“You got this.” 

“Definitely!” Lloyd encouraged. 

“Heck yeah I do,” The master of fire said, confidence growing, “Now where are the keys?” 

\------------------------- 

“You have a visitor, Miss Chen.” the voice of Marc, one of the nurses frequently tasked with caring for Skylor, called softly, his voice seeping into the rather bizarre dream the master of amber was currently having. A bright red porcupine vaguely resembling Kia was battling snakes made from living noodles. Bits of chow mein flew everywhere with each chop slash. The scene faded away once she registered that the person calling to her actual existed and wasn’t just a figment of her imagination. What a confusing dream… where had that even come from? 

“Huh?” she replied with a pained groan, struggling to prop herself up on her pillows and wishing she could just go back to sleep. Exhaustion was hardly a new concept for the master of amber, but she was pretty sure she’d discovered a new peak level of tiredness that hadn’t existed up to a few days ago. The drug induced haze she’d been experiencing had finally worn off, leaving her with a deep-rooted lack of energy, and memories of unrelenting pain that continued linger even now that she was on the road to recovery. And an abnormally overactive imagination, it seemed. 

“Your ninja friend is here to see you again.” Marc explained, distracting her from any further desire to question her strange subconscious, “Do you want me to leave you two alone?” 

“Oh... um... Yeah, that would probably be… good.” Skylor replied, cringing inwardly. She’d been dreading this moment since she first became lucid enough for him to describe the events of Kai’s previous visit. While the nurse hadn’t been present for everything that occurred, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what else she might’ve let slip. 

“Hey.” the master of fire greeted awkwardly from the doorway. 

“Hey...” she murmured back, smiling weakly. 

“I, uh, brought you some flowers…” he stated, holding out a rather large bouquet as he approached her bed. 

“Wow… thanks, Kai… That was really sweet of you!” the redhead commented appreciatively. Kai placed them on the table next to her and pulled up the nearest chair. 

“I figured you could use something to brighten this place up a bit.” this hospital room was anything but homey. 

“It was definitely needed…” Skylor agreed. Having been raised in the colorful environment of her father’s island had given her an appreciation for beauty, if nothing else (years of trauma and manipulation aside). She’d quickly grown tired of staring at the stark, clinical whiteness of her surroundings. It would be a relief to return to the comforting warmth of her apartment once she was finally well enough to escape from this place. 

“So…. How are you?” he asked quietly, glancing at her face, which was still far paler than it should’ve been, “I mean, you look much better than the last time I saw you but...” 

“I’m… healing, I guess?” she said with a small shrug, relaxing onto her pillows a bit, “There’s still some pain, and I’m so exhausted that I feel like I could sleep for the next 50 years... But I feel way better now than I did for a while, there…” 

“That’s good.” 

“Yeah. I never want to go through anything like that again…” Skylor told her companion. Absorbing Garmadon’s powers had been a terrible idea in hindsight, even if it had saved her friends. Nothing could have prepared her for the resulting pain and illness. 

“I can’t blame you. It was all pretty horrible… Finding you in such bad shape? Was terrifying... We – I was so scared I was gonna lose you…” admitted Kai, sobering. They were quiet for a moment as memories of the events leading up to this day washed over them. This really had been a close call. Skylor shakily reached out, catching one of Kai’s hands with her own. Giving it a squeeze, she broke the silence. 

“H-hey now, you can’t get rid of me that easily… but thanks. For everything. The doctors say if you hadn’t acted so quickly, things might’ve ended very differently. I… I’m glad you made it back okay.” 

He returned the squeeze without hesitation. 

“Me too, Sky. The thought of never seeing Nya, or Lloyd, or Pix, or you again was… unthinkable – there was never a doubt in my mind that I…. I had to get home somehow… There were so many things I never got to say, and I couldn’t just...” 

“Give up?” she finished for him. He nodded. 

“I know how you feel. Seeing the Bounty being crushed on live TV nearly broke me... it was devastating to think I’d lost so many people I cared about in one awful go. I came so close to just... losing hope completely, but then, sitting there in my apartment, waiting for the nightmare to just be over... I realized that if you were strong enough to go through losing your parents, your brother, and your master, all at different times, and still come out of it okay in the end...” Skylor’s voice cracked as she spoke, “I could face this, too. Even if it felt like I had lost everything. Because that’s what you’d have wanted me to do. And somewhere out there, Lloyd and Nya were hurting just as much as I was.” 

Fingers still intertwined with hers, Kai gave the redhead’s hand another squeeze. 

“Wow - I didn’t realize... C-can I ask you a question?” the master of fire asked tentatively. 

“Of course.” she answered. Inhaling deeply, he looked into her eyes searchingly, and began to speak. 

“The other day when I was here, you were a little out of it, but... you said that you were in love with me-” 

“I - yes. I am. Have been for... Well, pretty much since we first met, actually. And I wanted to tell you. I was just...” Skylor interrupted, frantically praying this wouldn’t backfire on her. 

“Waiting for the right moment?” he suggested, with a sheepish smile, “Yeah, I... I’m in love with you, too, Skylor. So if you were worried that maybe I was just joking that time back on your father’s island... I wasn’t then, and I’m not now.” 

The master of fire scooted as close to her bed as he could before continuing. 

“I was scared of messing things up for so long that I nearly missed the chance to tell you how I felt completely. But now? I just wanna be with you. I wanna talk to you on the phone until 3am and drive everyone else crazy with all our obnoxious inside jokes! I wanna go out with you and not be too much if a coward to call it a date and bring you flowers whenever I happen to be near the restaurant! I love you, Sky, and I’m so sorry it took me such a long time to tell you that to your face.” 

“You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that.” the redhead replied, eyes bright. She looked so happy it made Kai’s heart burst with affection. Gently, he used his thumbs to wipe away the tears that had gathered in her eyes. 

“Mmm. Actually, I’m probably sure I actually do,” he insisted, voice thick, “Meeting you was one of the best things that’s ever happened to me... And I kinda just really wanna kiss you now…” 

“Oh? Well, what’s stopping you?” Skylor inquired, looking at him in a way he’d never seen before. 

“Absolutely nothing.” he replied, emphasizing each word as he leaned in. She laughed as she met him halfway. 

“Wow... I should’ve done that a long time ago.” Kai mumbled against her lips when they finally parted again. The redhead hummed quietly in agreement. 

“Soo... I guess we’re together now?” 

“Yep. It’s official. You’re stuck with me.” he said with a grin. She lightly punched his shoulder. They smiled at each, still only inches apart. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” she replied before kissing him again. 

___________________________________________________________________ 

Day by day, Skylor’s health flourished, as did her relationship with Kai. He visited her whenever he could, staying for several hours; the rest of her ninja family, along with June and Chad also visited multiple times, ensuring that she was never bored or lonely while stuck in her dreary hospital room. Flowers, stuffed animals, and boxes of candy brightened her surroundings, though she eventually had to insist that Kai stop bringing her gifts every time he showed up. Their first date was a trip to the hospital cafeteria on the day the doctors deemed the master of amber strong enough to leave her bed. The hamburgers and fries weren’t perfect, and neither were Kai’s increasingly cheesy pickup lines, but after having waited so long to simply be together, neither of them cared. They stayed there, laughing hysterically over dumb stories, and tossing fries into each other’s mouths (and missing a large fraction of the time) until one of Skylor’s nurses finally came to drag her back to her room, insisting that she needed her rest. She slept better that night than she had in a long time. 

Finally, the date of her release from the hospital rolled around, and not a moment too soon. Skylor was beyond ready to finally go home. To say she had gone a bit stir crazy wouldn’t have been a lie. Sitting on her bed, the suitcase June had brought her already packed, she smiled when her phone vibrated, signaling an incoming text. 

Kai: Hey, stranger! Just pulled into the parking garage! 

Skylor: Can’t wait to see you, fire boy :) 

Kai: Be up before you know it! 

The redhead leaned backwards and stared up at the ceiling, sighing happily as she read her boyfriend’s messages. It felt so good to know to know with absolute certainty that Kai loved her. And that she’d be leaving this place in a few short minutes. True to his word, the master of fire quickly arrived outside her room. 

“Guess who?” he sang, swinging the door open. Skylor scrambled off her bed, greeting him with a soft kiss. 

“Hey, Kai.” 

“Hi. You look good today.” Kai complimented holding her at arm's length. She rolled her eyes. 

“I mean, I'm in desperate need of a shower, and look like I haven’t seen the sun in years, but I'll take it.” 

“So, you ready to get oughtta here?” the master of fire asked, grabbing the suitcase.   
“Please,” Skylor told him, “if I never see this place again, it’ll be too soon.” 

“Alrighty then. Let’s get you signed out before the doctors change their minds.” 

“Good plan.” She stated, following him out the door and into the hallway. Jen, the nurse who practically lived at the front desk, already had the release forms ready for Skylor when the duo reached the waiting room. 

“Congratulations, Miss Chen! It’s nice to see you doing so well. You just have a few papers to sign, and then you can be on your way.” The woman announced cheerily. Skylor quickly scanned the paperwork before grabbing a pen. She carefully signed her name to each dotted line, relishing in the feeling of freedom that came with it. 

“Everything looks good to me,” Jen remarked, “Just remember to stay hydrated and take it easy for the next couple of weeks or so. We don’t want you ending up back here too soon, now do we?” 

“Noted… thanks for everything!” The redhead smiled weakly. 

“Of course. Now, I’m sure you’d like to get outta here. That boyfriend of yours looks like he’s starting to get antsy.” observed Jen, nodding towards Kai, who was staring longingly towards the exit. 

“He looks even more anxious to leave than I am.” 

“He’s probably thinking about the night you were brought in… I was here, you know… The guy was absolutely devastated. It was obvious how much he cared about you – physically tried to fight the nurses when they took you back without him…” The nurse recalled, clearly pleased that they were a couple now. Skylor blanched at this. 

“Oh… I… No one had told me that… I- you’re right, I should probably get going.” 

“Have a nice evening!” 

“You too!” Skylor called over her shoulder as she headed for Kai. 

“All set?” Her boyfriend asked. 

“Yep. Let’s go home and have a quiet movie night and a nice meal that didn’t originate from the hospital cafeteria.” She begged. They exited the waiting room and stepped into the elevator that would take them to the level the parking garage was on. Watching the floor number meter count down, Skylor leaned against Kai’s shoulder, which, she had discovered, was the perfect height for a head rest. 

“You doing okay?” He asked, noticing how quiet she’d gotten. She burrowed into him. 

“Yeah, m’fine. Just… thinking.” 

“About what?” 

“Kai, did you seriously fight the nurses when they wouldn’t let you come back with me?” Skylor questioned, stepping out of the elevator, Kai close behind. 

“Well yeah, but don’t worry, Lloyd wasn’t very supportive of me wanting to burn down the entire wing in revenge…” he joked, which earned him a look. 

“Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the best idea ever, but I stand by my choices.” 

“You really are one in a million.” 

“And I’m all yours. Me, my awesome fire powers, and this minivan Nya hooked us up with.” Kai stated, pressing a button on his key fob to unlock their ride, which they had just arrived at. He opened the door on the passenger side and helped her climb in before getting in himself. 

“I’ll try not to fall asleep on the drive home this time,” The redhead assured him, referencing their trip to the zoo that had occurred not long after Skylor had first taken over her father’s restaurant. He laughed, turning the key in the ignition, 

“I wouldn’t blame you if you did. Your body is still healing from everything it got put through.” 

“As romantic as the image of you carrying me into my apartment and tucking me into bed is, I’m pretty sure we’d both end up back in the hospital if you tried that so. Think I’d better stay awake if it’s all the same to you.” Skylor commented with a wink, “And besides, it shouldn’t be a very long ride.” Kai nodded. Their vehicle turned a corner. 

“The colossus somehow managed to miss your entire neighborhood, so the streets should be pretty clear.” 

“That’s good. So… how’s the gang today?” Asked Skylor, knowing how hectic life had been for them in the wake of Garmadon’s defeat. Getting the city back on its feet entailed a lot of hard work, and they had all seemed exhausted whenever they came to visit her. 

“Zane declared our food stores too measly to cook a decent meal with and took Pixal on a shopping spree this morning at 5am, and Nya’s more than a little jealous that you got released from the hospital before she gets to be rid of her sling, but other than that, everyone seems to be holding up okay.” He answered lightheartedly. She stifled a giggle. 

“Somehow, I’m not surprised by any of this.” 

“My family does have a flair for the dramatic.” the master of fire admitted readily. He himself was no exception, as he’d proven time and time again (he was still being lectured by Lloyd and Nya for his stunt with the colossus). 

The duo continued to chat as Kai drove along the streets of Ninjago City, enjoying how easily words flowed between them. They reminisced over past adventures and discussed Wu’s progress in rebuilding the Monastery of Spinjitzu. They occasionally stopped talking to sing along with whatever song was playing on Kai’s playlist, sometimes competing to see who could butcher the lyrics the most horribly. Time passed quickly. Street signs flew by. And soon, they were pulling up in front of the master of amber’s home. 

“Sweet freedom!” Skylor exclaimed, shakily climbing out. She inhaled deeply; somehow the air here felt different, fresher, lighter, than that of the hospital, or even the warehouse the resistance had taken refuge in. Kai bit back a laugh when he saw her face. 

“Welcome home, Sky.” 

“Home,” She agreed, “It feels like a lifetime since I left, but at the same time… like it was only seconds ago…” 

“A lot of things have happened since then.” He said, reaching to shut the car door, which Skylor had neglected to do in her excitement at having arrived. 

“Yeah, I...” The master of amber paused when she heard the strains of the song Kai’s phone was playing. The music was much quieter without being played through the car’s speakers, but she could still recognize the lyrics. 

“Is that... Shut Up and Dance With Me?” 

“Uh, yeah. It is.” Kai confirmed, pulling the device from its stand. 

“You wanna...?” Skylor started, hesitantly. She glanced at him, shyly. He raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t hard to guess what she was thinking. 

“Dance with you? In the middle of the sidewalk? Sure, I mean, you only live once.” Kai relented with a grin. He pulled her onto the grassy area that lined the sidewalk, more than a little concerned his girlfriend might topple over if they weren’t careful. 

“Just tell me if you need to stop, okay?” She nodded and took his hands. 

Oh don't you dare look back 

Just keep your eyes on me 

Kai spun her gently, smiling as her face lit up. She pulled him into a spin of her own, harder, faster, than before. 

I said you're holding back 

She said shut up and dance with me 

They stumbled around the stretch of greenery, laughing as their movements grew increasingly clumsy. Finally, the two collapsed next to each other, breathing hard. 

“If my neighbors didn’t think I was crazy before, they definitely do now!” Skylor gasped, cheeks flushed. She looked so alive. 

“Worth it!” Kai breathed. He leaned over to kiss her. 

“Maybe there’s no such thing as a perfect moment, maybe things never line up exactly how we want them to. But right here, right now? I’d say we’ve gotten pretty darn close to perfection.” She told him before allowing herself to be wrapped in his loving embrace. No matter how much chaos life threw at them, Skylor knew they’d be able to handle it. Together.


End file.
